


Dust

by orphan_account



Category: Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: F/M, Spideychelle, farfromhome
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-17
Updated: 2020-01-27
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:33:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21827530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: After Mysterio outs Peter Parker as Spiderman, Peter has to figure out how to carry on with his life. With school, his relationship with MJ, and the traumatizing memories stirred up by the betrayal, the teen has a lot on his mind. The most important thing? Proving to the world once and for all that Spiderman was framed.But when a new threat arises, leaving Peter more alone than ever, it's going to take everything he's got to fight it. And with the world against him, being Spiderman is going to prove more dangerous than Peter ever could've imagined.In this exciting but funny post Far From Home fanfic, Peter Parker has to learn the most important lesson of all: what truly makes a hero.
Relationships: Michelle Jones/Peter Parker
Comments: 4
Kudos: 23





	1. Alone

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! Thanks for reading my story!
> 
> This is my first attempt at fanfic, so please try to be nice in the comments. I am always open to constructive criticism as long as you are not just trying to be mean. Plot suggestions are also welcomed, though I might not take them.
> 
> I will probably only update once or twice a week, we'll see how busy it gets when school starts.
> 
> I hope you like my story!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, this is a work of fanfiction and I do not claim credit for any characters and/or worldbuilding that belongs to the MCU.

_Dust. It settled all around him, caking in his eyelashes and the cracks of his suit. He stumbled, opening his mouth to call out only to find that filled with dust as well. Great drifts of it covered him, smothered him until the need to breathe was nearly unbearable. The edges of his vision blurred, his mind filled with the knowledge that he would die alone. He opened his mouth to scream, but nothing came out. Nothing except dust.  
_

He jolted awake, his panicked gasps punctuating the near-constant drone of traffic from outside his window. He let his gaze skim his room, the familiarity of the objects calming his panic: his suit, his phone charger and headphones, the framed picture of him and Mr. Stark at the Stark Expo last year-

No. Not that. Don't think about that. 

He sprung out of bed and grabbed his suit, taking a moment to flip the picture around as he went. Some good old-fashioned super-heroing was just what he needed. He headed for the window, only to stop and remember-he couldn't. 

Since Mysterio's betrayal, SHEILD had kept him under house arrest, and out of his suit. They had taken all of them except for the Iron Spider, under the agreement that he kept it hidden. The nano-tech made it the easiest suit to conceal. Peter suspected that if he wasn't apparently the only trustworthy avenger around anymore, they would've taken all of them. 

SHIELD wasn't taking any chances with the protection of Earth, not this time. Which Peter respected. It just sucked when he had to spend 24/7 inside their little apartment, without even school as an escape. Thanks to the fact that they got a new apartment after the Blip, they could stay there. No one knew where they were. 

The worst part? Peter had felt like he was finally coming to terms with losing Tony. He had his friends, Happy, and Beck to help with the superhero stuff. Mysterio's betrayal had felt like being hit with a train-literally. 

Looking at his phone had become a new form of torture. His face was plastered all over the internet, and most people seemed to believe Mysterio. Oh sure, there were a few hardcore Spiderman fans that said no way, the footage must have been doctored, Spiderman would never do that. But the believers far outweighed them, and SHEILD had forbidden Peter to show his face until they a) figured out how to prove Mysterio wrong and b) decide how Peter was going to live his life from now on. He wasn't like Tony, he couldn't just...live his life as Spiderman. Or at least SHIELD thought he couldn't.

Peter thought it could be kinda cool. He guessed that going to college would be hard, but since when was anything easy. Okay, so it would nearly impossible. But Aunt May didn't raise him to be a quitter and if he didn't go to college he was pretty sure Tony would-Tony would-

And now he's crying again, even though it's been a year, even though he should have been over it, even though he'd thought he'd accepted it. He's swallowing tears, muffling the sobs in his pillow so that May doesn't hear (again) and come in.

Push it down, lock it away, forget about it. _Conceal, don't feel._ Peter sat up, pulling on some clothes and heading to the small kitchen. May would be at work already, so it was just him. As usual. 

The day passed in a haze of boredom. Peter scanned some college websites, made a futile attempt to write some entrance essays, and spent entirely too long staring out the window. He figured out how to hack the police broadcast, but that just made him more miserable. Hearing about these arrests and knowing that if he was there they would be over in a heartbeat. 

_When you can do the things that I can, but you don't, and then the bad things happen, they happen because of you.  
_

Tony had understood. He always understood. Peter couldn't stand just sitting here while people were out there getting hurt. 

But SHIELD had made it clear: one step outside the building and the suit gets taken away. And he couldn't risk that, because then if there was a real emergency he wouldn't be able to help. Fury had made it very clear that they would take everything, even his old webshooters. 

And then there would be no one left to save the world. No one he knew of, anyway. Fury had been strangely silent on that front and Peter could only think that maybe they were off on some super-secret quest, or that maybe, Fury didn't even know. The remaining Avengers had sort of scattered after Thanos had been defeated, after the funeral and the goodbyes. If anyone had any idea of their location, it would be Fury.

And Peter suspected that he wouldn't be calling them unless it was a really serious threat. So Peter had to cooperate with SHIELD and somehow come up with a solution for this. Some way he could still go out, still save people, without being a target.

He had to bring it up with Fury at their next "meeting". More like a babysitting session. SHIELD just wanted to make sure he wasn't acting out and more often than not they would send out some other agent. Maybe Peter could bring it up with May, or Happy. They could help him. 

But then they would worry, or Happy would tell Pepper, and he hadn't seen her since well, since the funeral. He hadn't even seen Morgan, who he'd met only once, that same day. She'd stared up at him with solemn eyes and asked him if he really was Spiderman, and he had frozen because he could see so much of Tony in her. But he had managed to nod yes, and she asked him how he shot his webs, and he said he'd show her some time, as long as that was okay with her mom. But then school had happened, and Europe, and well he didn't think he was the best person to be around a small child right now. Also, lockdown mostly prevented visitors. 

SHEILD kept promising him that Ned or MJ could visit eventually, but whenever he brought it up, they just kept saying soon, soon. So Peter wasn't holding out any hope on that front. Speaking of Ned...Peter smiled as he pulled his phone from his pocket. Even though SHIELD had basically shut down all communication to the outside world, he was still allowed to call his friends. 

It was time for some "guy in the chair" backup. 


	2. 'Guy in the Chair'

"Ned?" 

"Hey bro! What's up?"

"Nothing at all."

"SHIELD hasn't let you out yet?'

Peter sighed. "Nope. And I'm not sure that they're going to. Unless I come up with some solutions. I need your help, man."

"Understood. 'Guy in the chair' duties commencing now." 

Peter laughed. Leave it to Ned to cheer him up. And hopefully, he would have some good solutions. 

"Thanks, man. I just wish SHIELD would lighten up, you know? I mean, they're still letting me use my phone but they're even reluctant about that. Like people even care enough to try to track me." 

"Dude, you don't know what it's like out here. You're all anyone talks about. It's crazy. The other day, someone asked Flash how he felt about Spiderman now and the guy nearly had a mental breakdown." 

"Seriously?" 

"I guess Flash probably feels pretty conflicted. I mean, finding out that your idol is the guy you make fun of every day has got to be tough."

Peter smiled, turning around when he heard the door to the apartment open.

"I guess...So hey, I should probably go. I think May's back from work."

"Cool. Hope to see you soon, dude."

"You too." 

May's keys rattled as she tossed her coat and bag on the table, before tiredly sinking into a chair. SHIELD had managed to keep the information that May was Peter's aunt secret, and so far no one had connected her to the famous web-slinger. This had allowed her to keep her job and to go about her life basically as normal, except for the sulky teen superhero constantly moping around their apartment. 

"Any news from SHIELD?" she asked, turning and giving Peter a hug. He morosely shook his head. 

"I got to talk to Ned today," he said, brightening up. "He's gonna help me come up with some solutions. I was thinking something along the lines of a new superhero identity." 

"I don't know, Peter...that sounds dangerous. People out there are feeding off of the lies of the media, and with a lack of actual updates, the rumours are getting crazier and more harmful."

"What do you mean?" he asked, noting something suspicious in the way his aunt wasn't meeting his eyes. 

"I'm not going to tell you all of the theories, Peter. Most of them are completely random and don't mean anything." 

"No, that's not it. There's something else, something big. What is it?"

May sighed, then seemed to come to a decision. "The Avengers are scattered. They haven't been in the public eye and as a result, none of them have been refuting the claim that you're evil. People have been saying that maybe this has been going on for a while. That maybe you betrayed them, or just weren't good enough."

Peter shook his head, still not getting it. "I don't understand...what do you mean?" 

"Well, people know that you were there when the Avengers fought Thanos on Titan." She took a deep breath. "They're saying that maybe you're the reason they lost." 

And Peter's heart stopped. Rushing filled his ears, along with a sudden, overwhelming feeling of complete and utter suffocation. He sunk into a chair, numbly feeling May put her hand on his shoulder. He didn't understand how people could think that. He gasped, wrenching breaths making their way past his lips. He shook his head, over and over again.

"I don't-why would people say that? I-I've saved people! I help them! I would never..." he trailed off, helpless. 

"I know," his aunt said, pulling him into a hug. "And anyone who knew you would know that too. It's just twisted people who have nothing better to do with there lives. Nobody who really matters would think that." 

"I know. I just wish that people knew the truth, y'know?" Peter stood up, a frustrated look on his face. "It's like, everybody wants to know more about me. But they don't want to know the real me, they just want more gossip on the 'kid avenger' or whatever they're calling me. They don't even care if it's true." 

"I actually do have some good news," May said, reading a text on her phone. "I've been talking with Pepper, and she is going to make a statement as the CEO of Stark Industries that announces an investigation in the credibility of the footage, and that pubicly puts Stark Industries firmly on the side of supporting Spiderman." 

"That's awesome, May. Hopefully, they'll find something." Though if SHIELD couldn't find a way to prove that the footage was faked, Peter doubted that Stark Industries could. Beck may have been a villain, but he was also a genius, with a team of geniuses backing him. The guy was good, but Peter should've been better. She gives him a soft smile as if anticipating his thoughts. 

"What should we have for dinner?" he asked, changing the subject. He didn't need to hear more of the endless refrain of encouragement that seemed to be on everyone's lips these days. He'd messed up, and he accepted that. Now he just had to figure out how to move on. 

"I was thinking pasta," May said, with a look that let him know she wasn't fooled by the sudden topic change. Peter's reluctance to talking about his feelings had been a frustration for her, and for Peter's friends. He would talk out most things, but when it came to his perceived failure, Peter was over talking it through. May had let it go since he seemed alright. 

"Um...I was thinking that it might be nice if Happy joined us for dinner. Give you to a chance to talk," his aunt said casually, pulling ingredients out of the cupboards. Peter laughed. 

"I know what this is about. You just want a chance to see your 'summer fling'." 

May glared at him. "Actually, we've decided to try dating for a while. He's going to take me out after we have dinner." 

"Ooh, someone's got a boyfriend," Peter teased in a singsong voice. His aunt blushed but held her ground. "Yes I do and you're going to be nice to him, young man, or I will revoke your phone privileges." 

Peter quickly backtracked, seeing that his aunt was serious. "Fine, fine. I was only joking anyway..." 

"Sure," his aunt said. "I'm going to go shower and change. Please set the table, and if Happy arrives let him in and be polite!" she admonishes, her voice trailing off as she enters her room. 

"Sure, sure," Peter said, grumbling but smiling. He liked seeing his aunt so happy, even if the thought of her and Happy 'dating' made him want to gag a little. 

Peter set the table and started the pasta, before sitting on the couch and scrolling through his fake Instagram account. He had set up all fake accounts so that he could still use social media without being bombarded by dozens of hate-posts and people wanting to become his friend because he was an Avenger. Those were the worst. 

The doorbell rang, and Peter slid over on his sock feet before pulling it open. Happy stood in the doorway, looking about as pleased with the situation as Peter was. 

"Hi kid," he said, clearly peering around him looking for May.

"Hey Happy," Peter said, deciding to go easy on the guy. After all, he had had his back in Europe, and Peter couldn't have beaten Mysterio without him. "May's just getting ready. She'll be out soon. I hope you like pasta," he finished, turning and leading the way into the living room. 

Dinner was awkward, but when May made Peter laugh so hard he snorted spaghetti up his nose, even Happy had to crack a smile. Peter was just grateful for any time he got to spend with his aunt. He guessed that if she had to date someone, Happy was probably as good as it got. 


	3. Furious

Peter was glad that Aunt May was getting out and having fun. It just left him with a whole evening and nothing to do. And the last thing Peter needed was more solitude. He could talk to Karen, but it's not like they'd have anything to talk about. She wasn't getting out any more than he was. May would usually tell him about her day, who was annoying at work, and anything else she could think of just to keep him imploding from utter boredom.

Now Peter was just gonna have to do it himself. Luckily, after the longest forty minutes of his life, SHIELD called to tell him they wanted a meeting. He was just glad for the warning. He was so over being scared witless by Nick Fury showing up in random places. That dude could be creepy when he wanted to, and he seems to get a kick from scaring people. Especially Peter. Maybe just him.

Of course, he doesn't even knock. Nope, just saunters in through the door like he owns the place, leaving Peter looking startled, sitting on the couch with one sock on.

"So, Spiderman," he says, sitting down at the kitchen table. Peter got up and joined him, sliding into a seat across the table.

"It has come to my attention that you are unhappy with your current situation," he continues, staring at him intently. "I was wondering why that might be. There is no one trying to kill you. You are safe, thanks to a lot of hard work from a lot of people. I would hate to think that you were ungrateful."

Peter gulped. "Well yeah, but... I'm stuck in this apartment all day! I haven't seen my friends for weeks! And while it was nice to have a break from the superhero gig, I miss being Spiderman! I want to be able to help people again."

Fury shifted, leaning forward and clasping his hands together, his one good eye narrowing dangerously. "So you're telling me, that before when we wanted-no needed- you to step up, you were so reluctant that it took the betrayal of Mysterio and the destruction of cities before you would help. But now, after only a few weeks in this apartment, you want to go back to the friendly vigilante you very nearly gave up on back in Europe? Is that what you're saying right now?"

"That's not fair," Peter said, shaking his head. "I stepped up, I did the right thing. I came through, it just took me some time!"

"Time during which you very nearly entrusted everything to a psychopath!"

"You trusted him too!" Peter shouted, freezing when he realized that he'd just yelled at the director of SHIELD, a man who could very likely kill him several different ways with only his hands. But Fury looked taken aback.

"You're right." He seemed to think for a moment, before making a decision. "We're going on a field trip. Put these on," he said, tossing Peter sunglasses and a baseball cap. Peter looked at them, skeptical.

"Do you really think these are gonna work as a disguise?"

"You'd be surprised," Fury said, pulling open the door. "Now put them on."

It felt amazing to be outside, even if it was just a few steps between the apartment building and the car. The car was black with darkened windows to ensure full privacy. Fury motioned for Peter to get in the passenger seat, so he did, pulling on his seat belt and wondering about where the director was taking him.

"Today at 4:30 pm, Mrs. Pepper Stark, CEO of Stark Industries, made a public statement saying that Stark Industries disbelieves the validity of the footage released after Mr. Beck's death. She goes on to throw the full support of Stark Industries behind Spiderman," the director says, not taking his eyes off the road. "You already know this, of course, but it does make a touching video."

He hands Peter a phone. It shows Pepper standing at a podium, speaking to a crowd of reporters. "Spiderman is an Avenger. My husband, Tony Stark, chose him personally," she says, her voice wavering slightly on the words Tony Stark. "My husband didn't make mistakes. Tony trusted him, and so do I."

The camera pans to the crowd. They are outside, and behind the reporters are a loud group of protestors, bristling with megaphones and handmade signs proclaiming things like, 'DOWN WITH SPIDERMAN!' 'MYSTERIO KNEW THE TRUTH, WHY DON'T YOU'. Their noise completely drowns out Pepper's voice. The clip ends, and Peter hands the phone back to Fury who tucks it into his jacket.

"Why are you showing this to me?" he says quietly, still shaken by the footage of the protestors.

Fury didn't answer for a moment, concentrating on the road ahead. "I just wanted you to understand how serious this is, Mr. Parker. This is bigger than you."

"I don't understand," Peter said, looking at the director.

"With most of the Avengers retired or off-world, you are the one people are going to think of when they think of superheroes. If the public opinion of the Avengers gets any lower, the government could shut the whole initiative down, effectively making you outlaws. It would be the Sokovia Accords all over again."

Peter winced a little at the mention of the accords. He understood why they were necessary, he'd just hated seeing the Avengers fight. He knew that it had torn a hole in the team that had never really been repaired.

"Can the government do that?"

"I wouldn't be telling you about it if it wasn't a real threat. I just want you to understand why we're being so strict. We want to find a real solution, and we have to be cautious so that we don't make the situation worse."

"Do you even have a plan? You tried to prove the footage was faked, and you couldn't. What next?"

"Your suit had a camera feed in it, did it not?"

Peter nodded, then stopped. "My suit was basically destroyed. And I had to make in less than an hour after being hit by a train and psychologically tortured. I left out a lot of safety measures. It's gonna be near impossible to recover that footage."

"If anyone can do it, it's you. You are Tony Stark's protegee after all."

"Where are you taking me?" Peter asked, a hint of excitement creeping into his voice.

"The Avengers compound. They have the best labs there, and you'll be able to work in peace."

"For how long? I mean, all my stuff...My friends.." Peter gestured hopelessly.

"Your aunt is packing up your stuff as we speak. We'll have it brought over. And it will be easier to get your friends to visit a more secure facility."

"You mean my friends can visit?"

"Let's see how you do on the suit first, Spiderman. The quicker you finish, the quicker you'll be able to go home. How's that for motivation."


	4. Black Dahlia

Peter had been working on the suit non-stop for days. Most of the coding, programming and actual physicality of the suit was lost, and Peter was working from fragments, hoping he could find and decrypt the most likely scrambled camera feed. 

He yawns, leaning back and resting his head on his chair. Probably a good idea to take a break. Just a short one, rest his eyes for a moment. Peter quickly falls into a deep sleep, legs propped up on his worktable, arms askew. 

He drifted in and out of dreams, most involving Mr. Stark, at a time when Peter was younger and happier. 

_'This isn't a hug, kid, I'm just getting the door...'_

_'Congratulations, kid, you're an Avenger now...'_

Peter smiled in his sleep, lost in a world where no one was dead, and he had never heard the name Thanos. Half-awake, he could hear voices getting closer. 

"When's the last time he slept?"

"I believe this is the first time in at least 48 hours. He's really taking after his mentor..."

"Has he made any progress?"

"I am unaware of the kid's progress, though I am sure that if he had made a breakthrough he would have been excitedly crowing it to anyone who would listen."

"That does sound like Peter." The girl laughed and Peter shifted slightly in his seat. Whose voice was that? He didn't want to wake up, but something told him he probably should. 

He opened his eyes slowly, stretching and rubbing his face with the back of his hand. He looked over to see Happy standing there.

"Hey Happy," he said tiredly, smiling at the older man. He was going to ask him why he was there, but the words died in his throat when he saw who was behind him. 

"MJ," he breathed, standing up and taking a step towards her. She took a shaky breath, biting her top lip, and suddenly he remembered the last time he'd seen her, standing on that bridge looking at him like- well, like he was everything.

"I'll just leave you two to catch up," Happy said, and Peter could've sworn he heard a smile in his voice, but he couldn't bear to tear his eyes away from her. MJ. She was here, she was right in front of him, and he could reach out and touch her if he wanted. And then he was moving, pulling her into his arms and burying his face in her hair. She sighed, wrapping her arms around him, and it felt like- god, it felt like coming to life, like being able to breathe again, like nothing in the world was wrong, as long as she was here. Safe.

"Peter," she murmured, her voice breaking, and his heart constricted. He pulled back, brushing the hair out of her face with his hand, noticing the tears in her eyes.

"MJ, hey, what's wrong?" he asked, searching her face. She let out a broken laugh, before burying her face in his shoulder again.

"I just missed you so much," she said, her voice muffled. He smiled, pulling her closer and revelling in the sensation of her.

"This isn't a dream, right?" 

"No, dummy, I'm really here," she said, but the affection in her voice took all of the sting out of the words. "Does that mean you dream about me?"

He smiled into her shoulder, hearing the self-conscious note in her voice. "Sometimes."

"Wow, you guys are super dramatic," said a new voice behind them. Peter pulled himself away from MJ to spot Ned standing in the doorway.

"Dude! You came too? This is like the best day ever!" Peter ran over to his best friend, completing their handshake before pulling him into a hug.

"It's good to see you, bro. Even if you do look like you could use a shower and a full night's sleep."

Peter scratched the back of his head self-consciously. "Yeah, it's been pretty crazy...SHIELD thinks they can prove I'm innocent, but it involves the suit I made and it's trashed, bro."

He quickly explained the situation to Ned, knowing that the other boy was way better at coding than him. He soon had him situated at a desk, poking at the suit with a look of intense concentration on his face. Peter smiled, knowing his friend could spend days there, and turned to MJ again. She was looking out the window with an expression of awe on her face. Peter had forgotten that it was his friends' first time at the newly rebuilt Avengers compound; it was if the battle with Thanos had never happened. SHIELD had taken it upon themselves to rebuild it when things had calmed down a bit, knowing that there would be a time again when the Avengers needed a base. And Peter was grateful they had. Having a space like this- a high tech lab with all the equipment he could ask for, but without the painful memories of Tony around every corner- was a blessing. Of course, there were memorial statues of Iron Man and the Black Widow outside by the lake, and Peter knew eventually it would be nice to just sit there and remember Tony Stark and Natasha Romanov, even if he had never really known her. She was still a hero, and he knew he wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for her sacrifice.

MJ came and stood beside him, smiling at the view. "It's beautiful."

"It's weird," he shrugged. "Being back here. I mean... that's where Thanos' ship was," he said, pointing. "And that's where we came out of the portals and that's where-that's where Mr. Stark..." He trailed off, clearly not able to finish the sentence. MJ put a hand on his shoulder.

"Where are the rest of the Avengers?" she asked, clearly wondering why the compound was empty. He shrugged.

"Um, most of them are off-world or retired. I think that if I had a lot of trouble with the suit, they probably would've tried to get Dr. Banner to come, but it's hard for them to come back here. Harder then it is for me. This was their home for a little bit. Anyway, I think Ned and I have it under control."

They both glance over at Ned, who has a computer screen open and is typing furiously.

"Yeah, you're right," MJ said. "I think just coming here nearly made him faint, though, so it's probably good he has something to distract himself with."

Peter smiled, "Yeah." 

An awkward silence descended, with Peter having no idea what to do. He wanted to go over and help Ned, but would MJ think that was rude? And what was she gonna do? What were they gonna do if he stayed there with her? What had she been expecting when she came? What if-

His rambling thoughts were cut off by her talking.

"Go help Ned, loser," she said smiling. "I brought my book. I'm fine." 

"Oh, okay," Peter said, relieved. "Um, there's like a couch over there, and a kitchen through that door so you can make coffee or whatever, and-"

"I'm fine," she said, smiling. "Go already." 

"Okay." 

He walked over to where Ned was, glancing back to see her settling on the couch, book in hand. He smiled to himself. Ned was here, and he was going to be able to geek out with him for hours, and MJ would probably glance over every once and awhile and call them nerds or something, and he hadn't known how much he missed that until it was gone. May got off from work soon and she'd said over the phone that she would come up for the weekend, which was great because he missed her already. 

For once, things were going his way. 


End file.
